Community Advisory Council — Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research

Community Advisory Council

2024-2025 Community Advisory Council

Council Co-Chairs

Carla Wallace has been part of organizing for change for over 40 years. She is a co-founder of Showing Up for Racial Justice (known as SURJ) which moves white people—in particular, those who are poor, working-class and rural—to be part of the multiracial struggle for collective liberation. Mentored by southern civil rights activists including Anne Braden, Carla also co-founded Louisville’s Fairness Campaign, which has been nationally honored for its work winning LGBTQ equity by centering racial justice and connecting community organizing and electoral work. Carla has been inducted into the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame.

Shameka Parrish Wright is Metro Council’s District 3 representative including Shively and surrounding West End neighborhoods. She also serves as the executive director of VOCAL-KY, an advocacy group focused on ending mass incarceration, homelessness and the War on Drugs. She has dedicated over 25 years of her life to organizing the community to address the issues around the criminalization of poverty.

Mari Mujica is an artist and community advocate with expertise in cultural competency, mindfulness, and leadership. With a PhD in cultural anthropology, Mari’s skills are vast including photography, visual art installation, facilitation, diversity consulting, coaching and arts-based workshops. Her community work and advocacy are grounded in feminist theory and inspired by her lifelong dedication to uplifting lived experiences of gender, immigration, and domestic violence through her art.

Council Members

Eboni Neal-Cochran is Co-Director of REACT (Rubbertown Emergency ACTion), a grassroots organization of residents living near or at the fence lines of a cluster of chemical facilities commonly referred to as Rubbertown. She has been working with the organization since 2003 educating and working with community members, educating decision makers and pushing for reduced exposure to toxic chemicals.

Amber Duke is Executive Director of the ACLU of Kentucky. Amber was program director for the ABI at UofL. She earned an MA from UofL’s Pan African Studies Department. She also earned a Graduate Certificate in Public History from UofL’s History Department. She has a BS in Communication Studies from NYU.

Sherry Durham is the Associate Director of the Muhammad Ali Institute at the University of Louisville. A native of West Louisville and a graduate of Central High School, Sherry is currently a PhD Candidate in the College Student Personnel Program at the UofL. Sherry is a dedicated member of the Cardinal family having worked at UofL nearly 9 years.

Heather Fox is a native Louisvillian who comes from a line of Southern Baptist preachers and radio announcers. She is a faculty member in the University of Louisville Archives & Special collections where she manages the Oral History Center and is a manuscript archivist. She loves working with people.

Lauren Freeman is a Professor of Philosophy at University of Louisville and Director of the M.A. in Applied Philosophy. She’s also an affiliated faculty member in the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and faculty affiliate of the Anne Braden Institute. She conducts impact driven, interdisciplinary research that aims to understand how members of marginalized groups are oppressed in both obvious and subtle ways within the context of science, medicine, health, and healthcare.

Chad Kamen was raised in Louisville where he first learned about community-building through joining food justice organizing across the city. He currently works in the University of Louisville Archives & Special Collections and focuses on outreach and instruction with the library's rare book collections.

Rev. Canon Dr. Jason D. Lewis serves as Canon for Congregational Vitality and Bishop's Liaison to the Racial Healing Commission and Economic Disparities Task Force of the Diocese of Kentucky. Known for his expertise in Appreciative Inquiry, and Asset Based Community Development, he supports communities to leverage assets toward just action and building Beloved Community.

Taylor Martin is a political science graduate student at the University of Louisville. She believes in creating positive change through research, advocacy, and education. She collaborates with campus, state, and national organizations to increase voter turnout, raise awareness of social justice issues, and mobilize action for change.

K.A. Owens is a veteran community and political organizer. He writes and speaks on a variety of issues and is a longtime radio host. He is a Co-Chair of the Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, a former Chair of Kentuckians For The Commonwealth, and a member of the Leadership Council of the Fairness Campaign. Mr. Owens earned BA and MA degrees from the University of Louisville. He earned an honorable discharge from the Kentucky Air National Guard. Mr. Owens is a resident of Louisville, KY.

Romith Paily is a UofL senior in Public Health with three minors. He currently leads UofL’s Bollywood Fusion dance team. He researches e-cigarettes' effects on electrophysiology, works at Air Justice, and chairs the library student advisory board—all while preparing for a medical career.

Emma Posey is Emma Posey and I am a sophomore majoring in Political Science and Pan African Studies. On campus, I am a MLK and Porter Scholar, as well as being involved in Engage Lead Serve Board, Black and Brown Honor Society, and Diversity Student Ambassadors. I’m excited for my first year on the ABI Council!